12 posts categorized "Insurance"

June 04, 2009

It’s been months now and Darlene Ploss still hasn’t been able to find health insurance for her 20-year-old son, David.

The family’s story illustrates the problems young people can have getting medical coverage when they’re no longer in school.

The young man dropped out of college last year after a long recovery from an emergency appendectomy and disappointing grades. He lives at home with his parents in Antioch.

David was born with hearing difficulties; his right inner ear was closed and he didn’t have an outer ear on that side. He had multiple surgeries at Children’s Memorial Hospital and his family received financial assistance from the Illinois Division of Specialized Care for Children.

When the boy grew to 7 feet, he began developing lower back pain and chronic pain in his knees. David also was diagnosed with attention deficit disorder and osteochondritis dissecans, a condition that occurs when blood supply to the end of a bone stops.

The young man applied for individual insurance when he left college last year but was turned down. The family’s insurance agent said it was highly unlikely any company would cover him.

June 01, 2009

Your son or daughter has just graduated from college and is looking for a job. What health insurance options do they have?

I asked several experts to help me understand the range of choices and what they might cost.

The good news is that under a new law that went into effect on Monday, parents in Illinois can keep children on their insurance policies up to age 26. The bad news is that young adults with chronic medical conditions may find it hard to secure coverage on their own.

Last year, the Commonwealth Fund, a health care foundation, reported that about one-third of young adults become uninsured for some period of time in the year after they graduate from college.

Should something happen—a car accident, say, or a sports injury—these young people could face significant medical bills while they’re trying to pay off college loans.

April 22, 2009

"What is the definition of "dependent"? If the individual is no long claimed as a dependent on parents' income taxes, can they be considered a dependent for the purposes of this program?"

This question from a reader followed my recent post about a new Illinois law that allows parents to keep their children on their health insurance policies until the age of 26. The new law goes into effect June 1. To read my original post, click here.

I asked the Illinois Division of Insurance to help me answer this reader's question. Their response, printed below, makes it clear that a young adult does not have to be claimed on parents' income tax or in school to be considered a dependent.

Some insurance policies may, however, require that the young adult live with his or her parents for a certain period of time each year to be considered a dependent eligible for insurance coverage.

A response from the Illinois Division of Insurance:

What counts as a dependent under the new law allowing parents to extend coverage to young adults up to age 26?

The new dependent coverage law (Public Act No. 95-0958) prohibits companies from declining coverage for dependents due to age (up to age 26 or 30 for military veterans), health, or enrollment in an educational institution. The law does not otherwise restrict the definition of dependent. However, companies may not impose an eligibility requirement that serves as a proxy for age, such as the IRS dependency rules discussed below.

April 10, 2009

College graduation is coming up, and many parents are thinking about health insurance for diploma-bearing young adults.

Some newly minted graduates may go on to get advanced degrees and qualify for medical coverage through universities. But many will try to enter a job market where positions with health benefits aren’t especially easy to find.

Fortunately, there’s a new option for Illinois parents who want to make sure twentysomething sons or daughters have medical coverage: a law that allows families to keep them as dependents on the family’s insurance policy until the age of 26. It goes into effect June 1.

“We know parents have wrestled with this issue for years, and we expect that tens of thousands of families will take up this new option,” said Michael McRaith, director of Illinois’ Division of Insurance.

Here are details of the law provided by McRaith and the Illinois Division of Insurance:

January 14, 2009

Kathleen Walsh of Woodridge was worried. The company that fired her Dec. 10 hadn’t sent out a notification of her right to elect COBRA coverage and she wasn’t sure what to do.

Walsh, 63, said she has enough money to pay COBRA premiums, which average $400 a month for an individual in Illinois. “I have medical issues and I can’t go without coverage,” she told me in a phone call.

COBRA is getting a lot of attention these days, as the unemployment rate soars and the recession deepens. Under the program, workers laid off from companies with 20 or more employees can extend their employer-provided health insurance for up to 18 months. But there’s a catch: A worker has to agree to pay 102 percent of the cost of the policy.

Walsh wanted answers to two questions: What are companies’ obligations to inform workers of the availability of COBRA coverage? And what resources are available to people who want to understand their rights under COBRA?

About this blog

Getting the medical care you need isn't easy. Resources can be hard to find. Weighing the costs and benefits of proposed interventions can be difficult. Choosing a doctor or a hospital, negotiating with your insurer, staying on top of treatment trends, getting the best care possible -- all these can be nerve-wracking. This blog will bring you useful information, connect you with important resources and highlight the stories of other people like you.